This family home is two tiny houses connected by a sunroom

There’s some real magic in the idea of a courtyard house; a house in which the main rooms surround a secret open space. Of course for anyone living tiny, there wouldn’t be enough house to enclose a courtyard – but The Ohana might be the next best thing.

A Novel Innovation in Tiny Houses

Designed by architect Brian Crabb of VIVA Collectiv, The Ohana is two tiny homes, each on a 24 x 8 trailer, with a spacious sunroom in between. With each side comprising 176 square feet of usable space, and the sunroom adding another 247 square feet, the total comes in at just a hair under 600 square feet of usable space. While a bit larger than the standard tiny home, it’s a wonderfully novel way to live big while still on the small side. It’s also a very reasonable way for a family of four, for which the home was designed, to cohabitate while living in a small footprint.

The inspiration came way of The Aloha State, Crabb explains to TreeHugger:

“The home was designed for a young family of 4 originally from Hawaii, but living outside of Portland, OR. Living in the Pacific Northwest, they found they really missed the tropical climate and all it affords, so their request was to create a home where they could enjoy the ‘outdoors’ year-round. The sunroom was designed as a communal space for the family to enjoy together, while the parent's and children's bedrooms are located in separate trailers. This separation allows for some semblance of privacy while still enjoying the fruits of going tiny.”

Layout of the Ohana

The right trailer holds the living room, and also contains two bedrooms, one on top of the other, for the kids. This makes a lot of sense; the kids have the living space to branch out into, kind of like their own own little suite. There is storage under the stairs, and windows all around to let the light in.

The left trailer is home to a charming and romantic master bedroom. With the kids on the other side of the sunroom, there's definitely a lot more privacy for the adults than the usual "family in a tiny home" situation. That said, the plans show a trundle bed tucked beneath the queen; perfect for nightmare-shaken kids or morning cuddling.

The bathroom is off the hallway between the kitchen and master bedroom. The extra space of the double tiny house allows for a bathtub – and look at that lovely tile work. You can also see in the hallway a glimpse of the sunroom.

“Ohana” means family in Hawaiian, and not just immediate family, but extended family, friends, and neighbors as well. And this clever design feels like it would be completely welcoming for a crowd. In fact, the original owner told CountryLiving.com that they hosted a get-together for 50 people, “where guests were able to roam between the two trailers, the sunroom, and the yard.” Not bad for a tiny home (or two).

One of the great advantages of tiny homes is that they can be packed up and relocated; which is what has happened to The Ohana. It was sold and moved across the country, sunroom and all. I don’t know where it ended up, but somewhere out there, there’s a tiny take on a courtyard house … with plenty of room for family, friends, and all.

For more information, including how to purchase Tiny Home plans for The Ohana and others, visit VIVA Collectiv.